Mom Lets Teen Ride in Box Atop Car

If you’ve ever purchased something at a store only to find that the box won’t fit in your car, you’ll understand Jackie Denise Knott’s predicament. The Alabama woman’s cardboard box was empty, but it was large and she was determined to get it home despite the fact that it would not fit in her mini-van. After what I am sure was at least 10 seconds of careful consideration, she hit upon a solution: Put the box on top of the van and weigh it down something heavy. But what could she put in the box that would keep it from flying away? How about her 13-year-old daughter?

Speeding down the highway with a child in a box on top of a car may sound dangerous, but the 37-year-old Alabama woman wasn’t being totally irresponsible. To ensure that the box — and her daughter — didn’t slide off the van, she secured it to the vehicle with a clothes hanger.

Despite the insanity of this idea, it actually worked. She and her kid-in-a-box were making their way down U.S. 431 when a concerned citizen alterted police. After being pulled over, she explained to officers what she was doing and directed their attention to the clothes hanger safety strap. They were not impressed. Her daughter was released to a relative while police charged Knott with endangering the welfare of a child.

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